New study: Phoenix police must be more transparent about body cams

A new study suggests the Phoenix Police Department needs to be more transparent with its officer body cam policies.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and technology company Upturn rated 50 police departments nationwide on eight criteria’s. Among them were public availability of the body cam policy.

“We found [Phoenix’s policy] on another city’s website,” said Harlan Yu, a principal of Upturn. “Maybe they’re using it as an example.”

In a statement to KTAR, Phoenix police said they are working hard to ensure the body cam policy best supports the community.

Phoenix scored low in six categories, such as footage retention and protecting body cam footage from tampering and misuse. The department scored an “okay” for, “Limits officer discretion on when to record” and, “Addresses personal privacy concerns.”

Yu says the scorecard isn’t meant to discourage anyone or encourage hatred of police. “Hopefully, the scorecard helps community advocates identify areas where the department policy ought to improve.”